Jhansi
| Jhansi | |||
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| State : |
 India
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| State : | Uttar Pradesh | ||
| District : | Jhansi | ||
| Sub-district : | Jhansi | ||
| Location : | 25 ° 27 ' N , 78 ° 34' E | ||
| Height : | 250 m | ||
| Residents : | 505,693 (2011) | ||
| Website : | Jhansi | ||
Jhansi ( Hindi : झाँसी , Jhā̃sī ) is a city with about 550,000 inhabitants in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh . Jhansi is the administrative seat of the district of the same name .
location
Jhansi is located in the Bundelkhand region at an altitude of approx. 250 m above sea level. d. M .; the nearest major city is Gwalior in the state of Madhya Pradesh, about 100 km (driving distance) to the northwest . The climate in Jhansi is mostly warm to hot; Rain falls almost exclusively in the monsoon months from June to September.
population
Official population statistics have been kept and published since 1991. At that time there were 300,850 inhabitants, 426,198 in 2001 and finally 505,695 in 2011. The majority of the Hindi and Urdu- speaking population consists of about 81% Hindus and about 16.5% Muslims ; Jains , Sikhs , Buddhists and Christians are numerically small minorities. As is usual with censuses in northern India, the male population is around 10% higher than the female population.
economy
The area around Jhansi is mainly used for agriculture. Crafts, trade and service companies of all kinds have settled in the city itself.
history
Jhansi was an important city in the realm of the Chandella . Under the suzerainty of the Delhi Sultanate (1206-1526) and the Great Mughals (1526-1705) it sank politically and economically far behind. In the early 17th century it was briefly revived by Raja Bir Singh Deo and conquered by the Marathas during the fall of the Mughal Empire . In the years after 1742, the fort was expanded into a provincial capital by the virtually self-sufficient governors ( subahdars ) of the fragmented Marathas Empire. From 1804 to 1853 it was the center of the princely state of the same name ; then it was annexed to British India .
Indian uprising 1857
Lakshmibai was married to the much older Raja of Jhansi Gangadhar Rao when he was fourteen . The connection resulted in a son who died very young. Shortly before his death, Gangadhar Rao adopted a son who would succeed him to the throne. Until he came of age, Lakshmibai was to rule for him. According to the Doctrine of Lapse , however, Lord Dalhousie also annexed this princely state after the Raja's death . The dethroned Rani was allowed to continue to reside in the palace and received a generous pension. The Rani protested against this treatment in London; their objection was not granted. The Rani was held in high esteem among the British living in Jhansi. When the Indian soldiers stationed outside Jhansi joined the uprising in June 1857, the Europeans and Eurasians living there placed themselves under their protection. However, the Rani could not prevent most of them from being murdered by insurgent Indian soldiers in June 1857. To the British, the Rani denied any role in the massacre and emphasized their loyalty.
In the months that followed, troops from neighboring princely states invaded their territory. After her appeals for British aid were unsuccessful, she successfully defended her princely state against the invaders with the help of insurgent troops. When British troops marched on Jhansi in March 1858 to take revenge there for the massacres committed against Europeans and Eurasians, she decided to defend the fortress of Jhansi at the head of the rebels. The Indian rebel leader Tantya Tope came to her aid with a force of 22,000 men. Due to tactical errors, the troops under the leadership of Tantya Tope were defeated in the Battle of Betwa on April 1st by a significantly outnumbered British force under Hugh Rose, 1st Baron Strathnairn . Jhansi was captured by the British on April 3rd. More than 3,000 Indians were killed. Most of the victims were unarmed civilians. The Rani von Jhansi managed to leave the city with her adopted son and fifty followers before the British could arrest them. On May 22nd, British troops attacked Kalpi fortress. The Rani von Jhansi personally led the counterattack by Indian troops. The Indian troops were also defeated in this battle. Once again the Rani managed to escape together with other leaders of the uprising such as Tantya Tope, Banda's nawab and Rao Sahib, Nana Sahib's nephew. In Gwalior they were able to persuade the Indian troops stationed there to join the uprising. The Maharath, who remained loyal to the British, fled the district. Sir Hugh Rose and his troops had followed the fugitives. On June 16, he reached the outskirts of the city of Gwalior. On June 17th, the Rani von Jhansi was killed in a cavalry battle. According to three eyewitness reports, she was wearing the uniform of a sowar and attacked one of the British riders. She was thrown from her horse herself and suffered an injury, probably from a blow by the British cavalryman with a saber. She shot her attacker with a pistol. However, this killed her with a rifle shot.
education
Attractions
- The fortress ( fort ) of Jhansi already existed under the Chandellas, but was abandoned for a long time and was not used and renovated again until the mid-18th century. From here there are beautiful views over the city at the foot of the fortress mountain.
- In the lower town is the Rani Mahal (or Rani Lakshmi Mahal ), a representative palace in the Indo-European style of the 18th and 19th centuries. Century. Some rooms are covered with colored paintings; in the courtyard there is an archaeological museum with numerous sculptures.
- The Government Museum has numerous exhibits from the Gupta period to the 20th century.
- In the lower town is the Judas Shrine , the most important Christian pilgrimage site in North India.
Sons of the city
- Dhyan Chand (1905–1979), Indian hockey player
- Pankaj Mishra (* 1969), Indian writer
literature
- Saul David: The Indian Mutiny. 1857. Penguin Books, London 2003, ISBN 0-14-100554-8 .
- Saul David: Victoria's Wars. Penguin Books, London 2006, ISBN 0-14-100555-6 .
Web links
- Jhansi, sights - photos + information (English)
